According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, The Chiefs tried and failed to reach terms of a new deal with Houston before the start of the 2014 season and are under a lot of pressure to reach a deal in order to avoid having to put the franchise tag on him – which would require the Chiefs to pay him a guaranteed $12-15 million contract in 2015 on a one-year deal.

Florio added that it’s expected Houston would sign the franchise tag immediately since his current deal would otherwise be expired and would make him a free agent in a market that is not starving for pass rushing LBs at the moment.

Houston led the NFL with a Chiefs franchise-record 22.0 sacks in 2014, breaking the previous record held by Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas set in 1990.

He has recorded 10.0 or more sacks in each of the last three seasons Houston has recorded 43.0 sacks, second only to two-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt in sacks recorded over that period.